Kinetoscope.



No. 66|,5l5. Patented Nov. l3, 19.00. F. s. GIEL.

KINETOSGOPE.

- (Application filed Jan. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITNESSES:

C INVENTOR ATTORNEY ls FETERS co. mmoumou WASPHNGTON, u. c

m: "can No. 661,5l5. Patented Nov. l3, I900.

F. S. GIEL.

KINETOSGDPE.

(Application filed Jan, 25, 1898.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES m: NORNS PETERS co, Pnmuuwo, WASNiNGTON, n c

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIcE.

FRANCIS S. GIEL, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

KINETOSCOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,515, dated November 13, 1900.

Application filed January 25, 1898. Serial No. 667,918. (No model.

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANCIS S. GIEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kinetoscopes, of which the followingis a ful1,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to kinetoscopes, the object being to simplify as far as possible the construction of such machines and to provide a machine capable of producing the pictures on and reproducing them from a disk instead of a ribbon.

In my improved kinetoscope the pictures are arranged in concentric circles on a glass disk, each picture being substantially rectangular in shape. The picture-disk runs upon the same shaft with another disk of about the same dimensions, upon which are arranged circles of rack-teeth, one circular rack for each circle of pictures, and mechanism is provided for rotating the rack-disk at any suitable speed and for automatically shifting the driving mechanism from engagement with one circular rack to engagement with the next succeeding rack, this adjustment accomplishing at the same time the shifting of the picture, so as to bring the next succeeding circle of pictures into line with the optical axis.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in all the figures of which the optical mechanism is omitted, as it forms no part of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of the machine, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section along line :1; a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with parts broken away. Fig. atis a development of the worm in a straight line; and Fig. 5 is a side view of a broken-out portion of the picture-disk, showing the circles of pieinure-spaces.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A is a frame, supporting on each side guides a a, in which are adapted to slide the journal boxes or bearings 11 of a shaft B. The shaft projects beyond the bearings at both ends and carries at its forward end a large glass disk 0, upon which the pictures are arranged in concentric circles extending from the outer edge inward as far as necessary to complete the cycle of pictures. On the rearof the shaft is mounted a metal disk D, having upon its inner face a series of circular concentric racks d, corresponding in diameter with the circles of pictures on the glass disk. The shaft B is arranged to be moved bodily from one side of the machine to the other along the guides a. This movement is effected by a weight w, to which a cord is attached, which cord leads over a guide-pulley w and thence to one of two cross-braces 1), connecting the journal boxes of the shaft together or to any other part moving with the shaft. The weight is prevented from acting continuously by a latch c, which is pivoted on the journal-box and carries a lug that is held in engagement with one of a series of notches c in the frame by a spring 0 The shaft B carries a disk (Z having a cam or lug (1 which with each rotation of the shaft ongages with the latch and forces it out of the notch in which it may happen to be standing. Therenpon the shaft is released and the weight draws it along until the latch drops into the next notch in the series and stops it. The distance which the shaft is thus moved is equal to the-distance between any two of the concentric rows of pictures or racks. The rack-disk is provided with a single radial tooth 01, extending from the periphery of the disk to the hub and taking the place of one tooth in each rack of the series of racks. Thus any gear-wheel engaging with one of the racks at the point where this long radial tooth occurs may slide along said tooth to the next succeeding circular rack without being thrown out of mesh.

Power to operate the machine is applied to a transverse shaft E, which carries at one extremity a bevel-gear e, engaging with a bevelgear f on the short vertical shaft f, carrying a screw or worm f This Worm engages with an idler g, which in turn meshes with one of the racks on the disk D. A portion of the length of the worm is flattened or formed at right angles to its axis, so that While this portion is in mesh with the teeth of the idler no rotation will be imparted thereto. This provides for holding the disks stationary momentarily while a picture is being produced or reproduced. From the bevel-pinion e the shutter-shaft 7L, carrying the shutter-disk h,

is rotated, the optical axis being along the line i i, Fig. 3, in alinement with which is the magnifier or eyepiece 2', supported in a suitable part 2' of the frame or case; but I lay no claim to this magnifier and case.

The operation is as follows: Powerbeingapplied to the shaft E, either by hand or motor, the rotary motion is communicated through thewormf and idler to the first rack in the series on the disk (Z, and the disk, together with the glass disk, is intermittently rotated until the long radial tooth (1 comes around into mesh with the idler, at which moment the cam d on the shaft 13 strikes the latch c and releases the shatt-bearings, whereupon the weight to acts and draws the shaft, with the two disks which it carries, bodily toward the optical axis, the idlerg meanwhile sliding on the radial tooth d" and finally running into mesh with the next rack, at which moment also the next circle of pictures on the glass disk comes into line with the optical axis. The intern'iittent rotation then continues as before for another row of pictures, when the change to the next rack occurs, and so on until the cycle of pictures is finished.

This construction of machine is admirable fora cheap instrument to be operated by hand instead of power.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. In a kinetoscope, the coml'iination of a picture-disk upon which the pictures are arranged in concentric circles and means for shifting the axis of the disk toward and away from the optical axis, substantially as described.

2. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a picture-disk and a rack-disk mounted on the same shaft, the racks of the latter being arranged in concentric circles, and gearing for engaging with and driving said racks, means for shifting the two disks relative to the gearing, substantially as described.

3. In a hinetoscope, the combination of a picture-disk and a rack-disk mounted upon the same shaft, the pictures being arranged in concentric circles and the racks being arranged in corresponding concentric circles, and driving-gear engaging with one of the concentric racks and means for shifting the mechanism so that the driving-gear may engage with the racks in succession.

4. In a kinetoscope the combination of a pictu re-disk and a driving rack-disk mounted on the same shaft, the racks upon the latter being arranged in concentric ci rcles,said racl disk being provided with a radial tooth extending across all of the circular racks and coinciding with a tooth on each, a gear-wheel engaging with one of said racks and means for shitting the rack-disk and the gear-wheel with respect to each so as to cause the gearwheel to slide upon the radial tooth from one rack to another, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a lzinetoscope the combination of a picture-disk and a rack-disk mounted upon the same shaft, said shaft being bodily movable, and means for locking said shaft to prevent such bodily movement, a series of racks on the rack-disk arranged in concentric circles, and fixed gearing engaging with one of said racks, means for releasing said locking mechanism at the end of each rotation of the disk, and means for simultaneously shifting the axis of the disks, substantially s described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signatn re in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS S. GIEL.

lVitnesses:

WM. A. ROSENBAUM, FRANK S. OBER. 

